Dogs and Butterflies
by Boredom Queen of Insanity
Summary: Before Crisis Core. The mission went wrong. A whole squad of SOLDIERs killed in the farmlands of Wutai. No one was thought to be alive, not even 1st Class SOLDIER Angeal Hewley. Oc/Angeal
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note:** Welcome! I figured I should start this off with a quick note. Usually, I leave these towards the end of the chapter, but given it's the first chapter I should do a little introductory. Those who read this story before today (today being 8/11/11) will notice that the first three chapters are different from what you remember. When I took a small *coughlongcough* hiatus from this, I was dissatisfied with it. I felt like I could do a lot better job than I had been. Thus, a rewrite was born. I like this version ten times, and I hope my old readers will at least be happy with it.

For those who are new, welcome! _Dogs and Butterflies_ was initially inspired by a challenge issued by ita-chan-01 long ago for some good Angeal/original character stories, and by the Loveless story itself. I could see Sephiroth as the Hero, and Genesis as the Wanderer, which left Angeal as the Prisoner. Now, I'm aware that in-story that the Loveless poem/prophecy/whatever actually related to Zack more than our winged trio (if I remember right, that is) but I took the plot bunny and ran with it. But no, this is not going to be a lovey-dovey romance story at first. I tend to write my stories with a good amount of common sense. And common sense tells me most women would not fall immediately in love with a soldier that was invading her country, if at all. Especially if she's as protective, stubborn, and prideful of her county as our protagonist is.

And, I admit, I do love torturing characters, especially when it's romance stories. But don't worry, there is romance, there is fluff, there is humor (both dry, macabre, and normal) and possibly a happy ending. Depending on a) my mood when I finish this, b) the poll currently on my profile, and c) my reviewers demands. I do listen to my reviewers, and take any suggestions into consideration.

With that out of the way, all we have left is the disclaimer, (which disclaims the entire story, I'm not posting it on every single chapter) and then on to the story!

**Disclaimer: ** I do not own the Final Fantasy Series, including Final Fantasy VII and all its spinoffs. I do claim all the original characters within this story, so if you don't recognize the characters from the games, they're mine. But, if for some strange reason you want to borrow them, feel free. I just ask that you give me a message so I can know. This includes parodies and flames if you wish. I love laughing at myself!

* * *

**Dogs and Butterflies**

**Loveless: Act II (Poem)**  
There is no hate, only joy  
For you are beloved by the goddess  
Hero of the dawn, Healer of worlds

Dreams of the morrow hath the shattered soul  
Pride is lost  
Wings stripped away, the end is nigh

**Act II (Interpreted)**  
Though the prisoner escapes, he is gravely wounded  
His life is saved, however  
By a woman of the opposing nation

He begins a life of seclusion with her  
Which seems to hold the promise of eternal bliss

But as happiness grows, so does guilt  
Of not fulfilling the oath to his friends

* * *

**Chapter One**

Chou looked over the ruined rice field, filled with the bodies of SOLDIER and Wutai alike. The scene was sickening to her, and only fueled her hated for SOLDIER and their master, Shinra. She clenched her fist and held back her tears. She had to perform her duties as chief priestess and prepare her countrymen's bodies. The only reason why Wutai had won this battle, if their survival could be truly counted as a victory, was that a troop from Fort Tamblin had seen the SOLDIERs heading towards the village. They had warned the villagers in time to set up crude but effective traps before retreating to the surrounding mountains. Still, the battle had been a bloody massacre for both sides.

Leviathan help her, she was going to have a long night.

"Miss Chou! Miss Chou!" The woman looked up from the devastated field and towards the village behind her. She could easily recognize the trio running along the carved path. The tallest and eldest was Mami, an 11-year-old girl with her brown hair pulled back into quickly braided pig tails and both her light brown skin and plain blue dress covered in mud, who was closely followed by her twin brothers, Hiruki and Sora. They looked nearly alike, if Sora didn't happen to be a few inches smaller than his brother. They had short brown hair like their sister, their tunics and pants were absolutely smothered in mud, and they had lost their shoes, again.

"You three should not be out here! There may still be traps!" she snapped at them, the last thing she needed was to bury the three children as well!

"Nobuo told us too!" Mami countered, not bothered by the priestess' temper. The whole village was on edge with nerves frayed. "He said it was important~!"

"Very important! Very important!" the twins echoed their sister.

"He said to come asap!"

"Asap! Asap!"

Chou frowned as she wondered why Nobuo needed her. Usually he referred to the village's healer, Tara, better known as Baba, or his eldest son, Wu. "Alright, but keep close to me," she commanded before leading the children back to the small village.

The village of Yezo was tucked in the western mountains of Wutai, it wasn't big with about 15 different families living there for many generations. Neither was it frequented by outsides since it was a hard and long trek from the main road. Before the attack, the small homes had been in a very protective circle, with a protective wall to defend them. Now the wall was all but destroyed, mostly from their surprise explosives, and the homes were in ruins. With winter only a few months away, they were surly headed for a hard time.

Thankfully, Nobuo's house still stood in the middle of the village, though part of his south wall had a gaping hole in it. However, what surprised Chou was the fact the entire village seemed to be gathered outside the home, and Wu seemed to be the only thing from preventing them from storming the house. Nevertheless, the crowd parted, allowing Chou and the children to pass through the crowd unheeded.

Wu gave Chou a dark look, his large arms crossed in front of his muscular chest. He was easily the strongest man in the village, and the most intimidating with his black eyes, bald head, and an irezumi tattoo covering most of his upper body. "I was told that Nobuo needed to see me," Chou said.

Wu snarled a little but stepped aside to allow her past, but prevented the trio of children from following her. "But Wu…" The children complained, but Chou was more interested in the small group standing around a partially hidden body. Baba was knelt next to the man. No one knew exactly how old she was, but she looked ancient with deep wrinkles in her face, her skin hanging slightly on her slight frame. However, she was anything but frail. Many wondered if it was a trait of her people, since she was born and raised not in Wutai, but the Northern Continent before meeting her late husband and moving into their village. Next to her sat her assistant-slash-apprentice, Yuki. Yuki was a kindly soft-spoken young woman, but today she wasn't as elegant as she usually looked. Her black hair was in a messy bun, her top stained with both dirt and blood, and her pants had been ripped off at the knee, probably used as makeshift bandages.

Standing near the wall, Nobuo was looking at the body with disdain. Their leader was somewhere in his fifties, and looked well for his age. Most of his brown hair was shaved except a long braid that fell to his waist. His clothes were not soiled, but didn't look as well kept as usual.

"Chou!" her name was shouted as the youngest person in the room saw her. Her sister Suzu instantly rushed across the room to drag her closer to where she had been standing next to Baba and Yuki. "Tell them we can't kill him! It's against the Teachings!"

For a moment, Chou was confused about what her younger sister was talking about until she took a closer look at the injured person. The man laying on the floor was not one of their warriors in critical condition, but a SOLDIER. Hatred flared passionately as soon as she saw the man's uniform, tattered as it may have been. "Sir," she asked as she looked up at Nobuo, knowing the elderly leader hated SOLDIER just as much as she did, if not more. "With all respect, what is _it_ doing here?"

That angered her sister. "Chou!" Suzu scolded, "He's an injured SOLDIER! As Priestess's of Leviathan, we cannot let the villagers kill him!"

"SOLDIER deserves to die!" Chou argued back. "They've killed hundreds of our people with little loss! They want to destroy everything we have just to make money!"

"But the teachings…" Suzu began, but was quickly silence by Nobuo himself.

"Ifrit has not done the horrors Shinra has inflicted on our people," Nobuo's strong voice quieted the entire room. "We need to show Shinra that even though we are but a small village we will not bend to their will."

"But we can't compromise our own integrity!" Suzu argued back, "Then we'd be no better than they are!"

Nobuo sighed as he turned his attention to Chou. "You are the Chief Priestess of Leviathan's temple. It is up to you what happens."

Chou bit her lip, looking from him to the SOLDIER. He didn't look like he was even still alive! His skin was pale, he was covered in mud and blood, and barely breathing. "Baba," she said quietly, "Would he even survive?"

Suzu lit up while Nobuo's frown intensified. Baba, however gave her a grim smile. "It's a toss up to tell. If anything, SOLDIERs are resilient. His bleeding as stopped, for now, but he's at a high risk for infection, and many of his wounds need to be sutured."

Not for the first time, Chou sincerely wished that she didn't have the responsibilities that fell on her. She strongly agreed with Nobuo; SOLDIER deserved to die after what they have done to them as a country. Who knows how many lives this one SOLDIER took? However, she had taken an oath to uphold all of Leviathan's teachings. And Suzu was right, if a man survived battle, it was wrong to kill him when he was unable to defend himself.

"I take it you would want us to care for him?" she asked as she looked from Baba to Nobuo.

He nodded his head, resigned. "The villagers will be busy trying to salvage what we can of our crops, and rebuilding their homes…"

"And I have several wounded men to care for," Baba continued. "This man will need intensive care."

Chou nodded her head, "Very well."

As soon as she spoke those words, Suzu squealed as she wrapped her arms around her tightly. "Thank you Chou! Thank you thank you thank you!"

"If he tries to attack us, I will defend us whether he is injured or not," she stated coldly. The young woman looked over to Nobuo, who had a grim expression. "I apologize…"

The old man shook his head. "Do not apologize for upholding the teachings. Your father would be proud. I will stand behind your decision and assure that the people will respect it as well."

"So, we're not killing him?" Wu snarled as he made his presence known. Mami, Hiruki, and Sora darted in, gaping at the SOLDIER as Baba and Yuki stood up, ready to defend their patient from the hot headed man and the angry and curious villagers peeking in. "He's a SOLDIER!"

"We are well aware of this," Nobuo answered his eldest son. "But we will not be like them. We will follow Leviathan's teachings, and He will look upon us favorably."

"He will stab us in the back," one of the others shouted. "Slaughter us for our good will!"

"Trust that one good thing will lead to another," Baba said softly, though with enough volume it silenced everyone. As village healer, and one of the trusted elders, her words were as important as Nobuo's. "Now, who will help us carry him to the Temple?"

Unsurprisingly, most of the villagers found a reason to leave quickly, until Wu and his younger brother, Daichi remained. Daichi looked a lot like his brother, with plenty of muscles and a tall stature, except he had short black hair, lacked the full body tattoo, and was an exact opposite attitude wise.

"We'll help!" Mami piped up, reminding everyone that they had snuck in.

Yuki smiled at the three, "Why don't you carry our supplies?"

* * *

The village's temple was one of the few things untouched by the battle, which was solely due to the fact it was high in one of the mountains surrounding the village. A well-worn path wound its way through the thick forest, small wooden footbridges crossing the multiple small streams that trickled down, leading them to Leviathan's Temple.

Unlike the buildings below, the temple was not made of wood and stone, but carved into the mountain itself. The only thing man made about the building was the intricate carvings of Leviathan in the bare stone, bordering the heavy wooden doors, also carved carefully with the deity along with the other Summons.

"In here," Suzu said as she led Daichi and Wu through the winding caves inside the temple to her room. On the way up, she and Chou agreed that she could stay in Chou's room while the SOLDIER slept in hers. Chou's room was larger, and it made her older sister feel better about letting the enemy live in their temple. As a priestess of Leviathan, there wasn't much in Suzu's room, decorative fans that their father brought from the Wutai capital before his death, and beautiful lengths of fabric that she had lined the boring grey walls with.

Wu snarled a bit as he and his brother set the SOLDIER down on the teen's bedroll. As soon as the man was down, he stormed out of her room, and a moment later, Suzu could hear the temple door slam shut as he left the building.

"He certainly has a temper, that one," Baba commented lightly as she set down their supplies while her assistant carefully removed the SOLDIER's top with a pair of bandage scissors. Half way up the mountain, the children had predictably tired out, and had headed back home leaving Baba to carry the basket of medical supplies.

"I agree with him," Chou said quietly as she paused at the doorway to pull back the sheer blue curtains that acted as a door. "This is very dangerous."

Daichi offered the woman one of his lazy smiles, making a show to flex his muscles. "You want me to stay here?"

Suzu and Yuki giggled while the other two women just rolled their eyes, either too old to be interested by the young man's display, or plain annoyed by it. "No, we can take care of ourselves," Chou said sternly, her hands unconsciously moving to the dagger at her waist. It was usually just for ceremonies, but its blade was still sharp as any other.

Daichi didn't seemed upset by Chou's austerity, but leaned towards Suzu and said in a faux whisper, "You want me to stay here and protect him?"

"Why don't you head back to the village?" Baba answered as Suzu broke into a fit of giggles. She could easily tell by the look on the elder sister's face she was becoming quickly annoyed by Daichi's antics. "A lot needs to be done before nightfall."

He frowned as he looked back at the elder, but nodded his head. "Right. If you excuse me ladies…" He bowed towards the healers than to the sisters before showing himself out.

"Really Chou," Suzu huffed, crossing her arms. "He was just kidding! You know, trying to lighten the mood? After everything that's happened, I think that's what everyone needs!"

Chou frowned, but instead of arguing with her sister she asked, "Would you perform the burial rights for those who have fallen?"

Instantly, Suzu's anger disappeared. "You'd let me do that?" She asked with a grin on her face. Unlike Chou, who grudgingly had accepted the title of priestess, Suzu loved her destined career, and had always wished she was allowed to do more duties that were reserved for the head priestess.

"You know the ritual," she stated, waving her had, "go prepare." Suzu squealed as she quickly hugged her sister before running out the door towards where the herbs and incense were stored.

"That was nice of you," Yuki mentioned as she took the metal needle from Baba and handed her a square of white cloth and a length of binding. While the others had been arguing, Baba and Yuki had cleaned and sutured the larger wounds.

"Some would argue that it's against the rules," Chou said quietly. None at the village would, but those from the outside would. Chou remembered clearly the lecture she had received from a traveling priest when he found out how many sacred duties she let the younger priestess perform.

"I believe it is doesn't matter who does it," Baba said quietly. "As long as they know and believe what they are doing." She finished binding the bandage before smiling. "There, our job is done. I would clean out the rest but…"

"The others need you," Chou acknowledged. "You have provided enough attention to… him. I will handle it."

It took Baba a moment to get up from the cushion placed at the SOLDIER's bedroll, and winced as she stretched lightly. "I believe I might be too old for this," she said lightly, and smiled when both Yuki and Chou frowned. "Relax girls, you're not getting rid of me yet. But I won't be able to make up here every day, Chou. I will send Yuki in my place."

The younger healer smiled, though there was a tinge of fear to it. "If that is what you wish…"

"I can handle it," Chou assured both of them. "There's no need for either of you to shirk your duties to the village because of this." Yuki gave her a relieved smile, while Baba's was smaller with a small glint in her eyes that made the priestess felt uncomfortable. Whenever the Elder had that look in her eyes, there was no stopping what she was planning.

"I will send the children up with medicines once we've overcome the worse," Baba placed an old hand on the young woman's shoulder. "And don't hesitate to ask for help for anything."

Chou nodded her head, "Yes, Baba." Both of them knew Chou was generally too bullheaded and prideful to ask for help; that was why Suzu had grown to be so pushy, because her older sister wouldn't accept help in any other way. Still, Baba tried to be the loving grandmother figure, and Chou tried to be the respectful young woman.

The priestess saw the pair to the temple doors, bowing slightly and said her goodbyes before closing the doors. For a moment, she rested her forehead against the cool wooden door, her hands gripping the carved body of Leviathan. What had she done? Allowing a SOLDIER to recuperate in the holy temple? She was putting not only herself and Suzu at risk, but the entire village! The SOLDIER would surely kill them as soon as it was strong enough, and go on to kill her countrymen.

One hand dropped to her dagger on her waist, her fingers dancing on the jewels encrusted hilt. She could end this right here, right now. She felt detached as she stood up and made her way to her little sister's room. She paused after moving the blue curtains hiding the SOLDIER, and slowly drew her blade. It looked so weak, so pale as it laid on Suzu's bed roll, the tattered shirt removed revealing a strongly defined set of muscles covered in wounds, blood, and mud. It's black hair contrasted with its pale skin, and she wondered numbly if the skin was always that pale, or if it was the result of blood loss.

There was a large gash on its chest midline of his chest, right where the heart should be. It would be so easy to plunge her dagger in. It would be the perfect solution, she could save numerable lives, and defend that she was just ending the SOLDIER's suffering.

She knelt down on a cushion next to the bedroll. One stab. That would be all it took. She had killed monster before that had trailed to close to the village before. What difference was there between the monsters and SOLDIERs? They may look human, but they weren't. Any humanity they had been washed away by whatever magic or science that made them different, gave them their inhuman strength.

She raised her dagger and placed a hand on the SOLDIER's chest, ready to strike.

* * *

**A/n:** So yes, far from a happy beginning. Any questions? Comments? Criticisms? Leave a review and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**Dogs and Butterflies**

**Chapter Two**

* * *

_Thump. _

_Thump._

_Thump._

Chou hesitated as she felt the strong beat of the SOLDIER's heart, along with the steady rise and fall of the chest. The skin, while covered in muck, still felt soft and warm- almost feverishly so- beneath her hand. Her eyes looked from the sutured wound to the SOLDIER's face. Dark lashes rested on his cheeks, his eyes still beneath. He looked so relaxed, so defenseless. _"It!"_ she reminded herself harshly. SOLDIERs were not human!

But her resolve disappeared with the revelation. The hand holding her dagger dropped to her side, but the other continued to rest on the SOLDIER's chest. "Why did you have to survive?" she whispered harshly. "If you just would've given in to the call of the Lifestream, this wouldn't have happened."

Suzu was right, however. She couldn't kill the SOLDIER, not while it was defenseless.

"I suppose I should get the dirt washed off," she sighed as she rose, replacing her dagger into the sheath. "And those wounds clean."

Ten minutes later, she returned with a shallow pan of cold mountain water from the stream that ran deep in the cavernous temple, and a couple washcloths and towels. She detached herself as she moistened the rag, and began with the man's _(Its!)_ face. The SOLDIER grimaced as soon as the cold rag touched its skin. She froze, afraid as the head turned away from her. Would it wake? She waited for what seemed like forever until the SOLDIER relaxed again.

She had to clean it, and the cool water would help with the fever that seemed to be climbing quickly. She gathered her courage and once more pressed the rag to the SOLDIER's forehead, and continued to wash the dirt from the skin, using her other hand to keep his head from moving. Usually when she cleaned the bodies of one of the villagers that had passed, she would talk about the memories she had of them. Now she stayed silent, focusing on her task while studying the SOLDIER's features.

Chou refused to think that the SOLDIER was even pleasant to look at, though if he had been any other person her opinion would be quite the opposite. The SOLDIER was masculine, unlike the rumors she had heard of the SOLDIERs such as the infamous Sephiroth, who was described by outsiders as an androgynous man with silver hair longer than most women wore. This SOLDIER's black hair reached his shoulders, which framed the strong features of his face. She let herself wonder what color the eyes were, and if they really did glow. Did they have cat like features like the rumors said?

The priestess moved on to the broad chest, which was predictably muscular. More than a few times the SOLDIER flinched away as her washcloth not-so-gently cleaned out the multiple wounds that were scatted across the trunk. The muscles were nicely defined (not that she would admit that), not overly so like Wu and Daichi. Baba and Yuki and cleaned and sutured the major wounds, but her harsh scouring had opened up the ones that had previously stopped bleeding. There was a tinge of guilt as she watched the blood slowly ooze out before she grabbed the left over supplies and applied homemade bandages to the larger ones.

She ignored the firm skin covering the strong biceps and triceps of the arm, being a little more careful this time as she cleansed the slashes and bullet wounds. She paused at the thick leather glove that covered his hand. The knuckles of the glove had been rubbed away, allowing her to glimpse at the bloodied skin beneath. This was not going to be pleasant. She soaked her rag before placing it on the dried blood, and waited for a few moments before carefully removing the glove.

Or at least, she attempt to. As she began to tug at the glove, the SOLDIER pulled his had away stirring slightly with a grumble. Once more she froze, waiting to see if her patient would wake. Like before, the SOLDIER settled without opening its eyes. She gave a sigh of relief, before moving the hand she was working with off its abdomen and on to her lap. Chou kept one hand tightly on his wrist, took a deep breath, and began to slowly peel it off. The sight was sickening, and she wondered what in the world the SOLDIER had done to cause so much damage to his fists. Had he been punching stones?

"_It_ is not human," she reminded herself, forcing the pity and empathy away as she picked up the bloodied rag and began clearing out the wounds. Surprisingly, her earlier thought may have been right. She found gravel in the wounds, along with sticks, dirt, and who knew what else. Occasionally the SOLDIER would try to pull its hand away, and those emotions she tried to deny would pop up as she paused and she would soothingly stoke the skin of the forearm with her thumb.

Once she wrapped its hand up in bandages she moved on to the other arm, using the same technique as before. The left hand was in better shape, but she still found herself holding the wrist almost comfortingly as she extracted the debris from the cuts.

After she was done, she sat back on her cushion and surveyed her work. The SOLDIER looked much better, the skin was pale but clean of any blood or muck. Her hand that continued to rest on the forearm told her the fever seemed to have wane thanks to the cold water and cool air. Now, it looked… normal. It would be so easy to mistake the SOLDIER for a normal man.

Chou tore her gaze from it with a deep blush across her cheeks as she looked down at the dark brown water. She would finish the lower regions later, when she had meditated and regained her composure. Besides, it had been a while since she last saw Suzu, and she needed to make sure her little sister didn't need help. She picked up the basin and tossed the soiled washcloths and towels inside before standing up and leaving, pausing in the doorway just to make sure that she forgot nothing (not to take one last glance at the SOLDIER) before leaving.

* * *

Twilight found Chou waiting on a stump-seat outside the mountain temple, the paper lantern hanging from the carved hook from the remains of the tree that the seat had been carved from. She could see the funeral pyre burning down in the village. Strictly speaking, she should've done the service, but she didn't dare leave the SOLDIER alone in the temple, even if it showed no signs of waking. So she had left her sister to do the rites, and hoped that it had been the right choice.

Either way, the fire had been lit, burning the bodies of their loved ones as their spirits returned to the Lifestream where Leviathan would see them to their next lives.

Her eyes trailed upwards, looking to the stars visible from the small clearing. For what seemed like the millionth time, she wondered if she was doing the right thing. Multiple times she had peered into Suzu's room, fingers wrapped around her dagger, debating whether or not to kill the SOLDIER. She never went any further than that. Just seeing how human it looked dwindled her determination for a few hours. Killing monsters was in self-defense, killing animals was for food. But so far the SOLDIER hadn't made no move to hurt anyone, let alone wake.

The other part of her mind pointed out it had already hurt people. How many of the twenty-seven fallen Wutai soldiers had it killed? How many before that? How many in the future? How many of her countrymen would die because they had let this one SOLDIER live?

The war had always been just rumors in Yezo. Tales and horror stories told by travelers fleeing from the battles farther north. Finally, after four years of war, it had come to the small mountain village. Hopefully, this would be the last time violence found them, though she had a growing worry it wasn't.

Lost in thought, Chou jumped when she heard the crunch of feet against the dead foliage. She quickly jumped to her feet, dagger in hand prepared to strike when she recognized Suzu trudging along the path. Usually her sister was able to bound up the trail like a deer with limitless energy, but now she dragged her feet as if she was as old as Baba. "Suzu?" she questioned, worried. The younger priestess looked up, and by the light of the lantern Chou could see tears rolling down her face. Her lip quivered before she suddenly rushed to Chou's open arms. The sisters fell to the ground in a heap, and Chou was able to sit up, and held Suzu in her lap as if she was a little girl again.

"Why?" Suzu cried. "All-all of them! Aiko, Jurou, Keiko, Kotone, Mayu! Why did they have to die? And-and all those warriors! We don't even know their names! What about their families? Who- who'll tell them they're all dead?"

Chou couldn't answer any of her questions, simply because she didn't know. At least when she had to do her first funeral ceremony, with her own aunt Mao, their father had been there to offer her support and answers. And even then, her death had been expected.

She regretted letting Suzu do this. "I'm sorry," she whispered as she smoothed her sisters short hair, rocking her back and forth slightly like a child. "I'm sorry," she repeated over and over, letting her own emotional control go and tears of frustration, fear, and sorrow fell.

There was no way to tell how much time passed as the sisters sat in the dirt and cried with one another until it seemed like there was no more tears left, which was long after the candle in the lantern burnt itself out. Chou brushed the salty remnants of her tears off her face as Suzu kept hiccupping into her shoulder. "Come," she said quietly, helping her little sister to her feet. "Let's get inside. You'll feel better after some tea and sleep."

* * *

Despite being exhausted, Chou found herself unable to sleep. She blamed it partly on nerves and the fact there was a SOLDIER sleeping just across the hall. Many times her fingers reached over to her dagger laying on the stone floor next to the futon, just to be assured it was there.

"Ngggggh," Suzu snored as she rolled over yet again, her sharp knee jamming itself into Chou's back. She was the other part why Chou couldn't sleep. She loved her sister, truly she did. But she swore that when they shared a room before their father was killed, Suzu wasn't nearly this annoying. She never knew anyone who snore that loud, or toss and turned so much.

Suddenly Suzu grabbed a handful of Chou's long hair and pulled. Chou bit back a scream and quickly rolled off the futon. Okay, this was definitely not going to work. She grabbed her dagger, pillow, and an extra blanket before she left her bedroom. She only went a few feet down the hall before dropping down on the cold stone floor, pulling her blanket tight beneath her chin. If it wasn't the fact they both had a hard day, she wouldn't have given in. But the fact was the day went horribly, and her sister needed all the sleep she could get.

The hall was barely lit by a few lanterns hanging on the wall, but it was enough to see the sheer blue curtains of Suzu's room, and the shadow of the SOLDIER inside. The whole source of their problems. She fingered her knife, still sorely tempted. But, for today, there had been enough death.

However, tomorrow was another day.


	3. Chapter 3

**Dogs and Butteflies**

**Chapter Two**

* * *

_(A few days later)_

"Good morning, Mr. SOLDIER!" Suzu chirped as she pushed past the sheer blue curtains of her old bedroom. Honestly, she missed having her own room. Chou was not exactly the best person to share a room with, and her older sister had developed a habit of throwing pillows at her in the middle of the night under the guise that she snored too loud.

Honestly, Suzu felt if she snored loud enough to wake her dead-to-the-world sister, she would have woken herself up!

Suzu pushed those thoughts out of her mind as she set the tray down near the head of the SOLDIER before grabbing the extra pillows that were stashed in the corner. "I hope my futon is comfortable enough. I know laying in bed for a few days isn't exactly comfortable no matter what you're laying on. And, truth be told, that futon isn't the best." She paused to lift the SOLDIER's head and quickly shoved the pillows underneath to keep his head propped up. Once she was sure that he was as comfortable as she could manage, she took a seat next to him, pulling the tray closer and picking up some of the thin vegetable soup leftover from the night before. To Suzu and Yuki's delight and Chou's discouragement, the SOLDIER would swallow out of reflex still, even though after two days he showed no sign of waking up.

"Here's some soup," she commented as she began to feed him. "Cold vegetable soup isn't the best, but we can't waste anything. Most of the fields were destroyed, so things are going to be tight for a while. Nobuo is talking about sending some people to Fort Tamblin for aid. I wish I could go, I never been outside of Yezo…"

"Fort Tamblin is too far away," Chou said, spooking Suzu. The older sister had a severe frown on her face as she leaned in the doorway. "Why are you talking to it anyways?"

Suzu frowned back at her sister before turning back to the SOLDIER. "I'm talking to _him_ because it's the right thing to do. Yuki said he might be able to hear us, you know?" Unseen by her sister, Chou's lips only tightened further into small lines. That was exactly why Chou didn't like the fact her little sister was talking to the SOLDIER. What if it could hear her? What if it was just pretending to sleep, and Suzu was telling it all the secrets of the village, and even what the teen knew of the country's defenses. "Besides, you talk to dead bodies all the time."

"That's different!" she defended quickly, her face turning pink as she crossed her arms. "They were our friends and family. That is an enemy."

"Right now, _he_ is our patient, and I'm going to treat him as if he was one of our friends. Baba always says that one good deed leads to another."

"_What about no good deed goes unpunished?" _Chou thought to herself, but didn't voice the thought aloud. For the last two days, she and Suzu had been arguing nearly non-stop about the SOLDIER, which was a drastic change. Usually the two sisters got along well, with just the occasional disagreement. Chou had a long habit of just giving into whatever Suzu wanted just to keep her little sister happy, and now that Chou was voicing her opinion it had caused a lot of tension between the two.

"Just hurry up. I found those dried herbs Baba needed, I want you to take them down to her as soon as you're finished with him."

Chou regretted her slip up as soon as a wide grin spread across Suzu's face. "Here that, Mr. SOLDIER?" she faux whispered, "Chou might actually be warming up to you!"

"The herbs are in the kitchen," Chou continued, ignoring her sister's goading. "Don't forget your claws, and be home by dark." With a huff, Chou turned and left the room. Despite her sister's temper, Suzu was still smiling as she fed the SOLDIER another spoonful of broth.

"Don't worry about Chou, she might sound mean and crabby, but Baba says it's just because she's worried. You have to understand, she's hated SOLDIER and Shinra since she was little. She blames them for our dad being killed on his trip to the capital. She was only fifteen when she became the head priestess, and trying to be a parent to me. I was seven then and anyone can tell you I was a terror. What I don't understand is our dad taught us that all life is sacred, but she doesn't seem to remember that."

* * *

Chou was starting to regret sending Suzu to the village, and leaving her alone with the SOLDIER. For most of the morning she ignored the SOLDIER, and busied herself with her usual routine of chores. Clean her room, which was a mess thanks to Suzu moving some of her things into her room. It had taken at least an hour to sort through their clothes and figure out what was who's. Then there was the temple itself, she threw herself into cleaning the statue of Leviathan, and all the intricate decorations, including scrubbing the mildew from the rocks behind the small waterfalls that flanked the Dragon idol. She couldn't remember the last time anyone had scrubbed the slime away. After that, she turned her attention to the small kitchen, and gave it a thorough cleaning before her stomach decided to remind her that it had been hours since her measly breakfast of vegetable soup.

While she was making a small meal of rice and the leftover vegetable soup, her conscious decided to nag her. It had been hours since she had checked the SOLDIER. She had succeeded in ignoring its presence.

She wouldn't feel guilty. She _wouldn't. _She wanted it to die, she didn't care about its well being. She didn't care at all. Besides, it was unconscious. It didn't need attention. She wouldn't give in.

…

* * *

"I can't believe this," Chou grumbled to herself. She had given into her conscious and fed it some of the simple broth from her own lunch, and now found herself changing the more blood-soaked bandages, a pan of water and washcloths at her side. Also at her side was a jar of medicinal paste that Yuki had brought the day before. She had told them to use it whenever the changed the SOLDIER's bandages. It hadn't been too hard to figure out the young healer was terrified of it. Yuki had barely stepped into Suzu's room for more than a few seconds before retreating to the hallway, deathly pale and shaking.

However, what she was annoyed with was the progression of the SOLDIER's wounds. She hadn't looked at them since she first cleaned them the first day, but they looked far better than they should. The small scrapes were now nothing more than fine pink lines, its knuckles no longer looked like ground meat but only had a few cuts among the dozen fine scratches. The wounds that needed stitches only two days before now looked tame, and the large gash across his chest that had been an tale-tell mark of a Wutai warriors staves now looked more like someone accidently caught it in the chest with a normal knife.

What would have taken a normal person weeks to months to heal, took this… _monster _just days to recover from.

Chou could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she finished bandaging the SOLDIERs wounds, her hands shaking. What should she do? How indestructible were these things? Could she even kill it with her simple dagger? Not that she felt she could actually do it, even after everything she heard and this new revelation.

It looked so human, with what could be considered a very handsome face and strong, defined muscles. Its skin was soft and warm, with no longer any hint of fever but still warm enough that compared to the cool stone. Its black hair, once rid of the dirt and tangles looked better than her own, and she could still remember how feathery-soft it had been.

Even if it was truly a monster, it looked to human for the priestess to hurt while it was defenseless.

However, even if she couldn't kill it, she couldn't like it. Under no circumstances could she even think it was handsome. It was the enemy. It wasn't even human!

"Tch," she growled to herself as she placed her hand firmly on the floor, moving her gaze from his, _its_, its wounds to the face. Its eyes were shifting behind their eyelids, making her wonder despite herself, what color of eyes did a SOLDIER have? She knew that their eyes glowed from the Mako treatments, but did they turn them into the color of mako?

She had to get out of there.

Chou stood up and turned to leave the room when she heard a quiet unintelligible sound. She paused and looked back to see him it move his _Its_ head to the side. It hadn't made any sound or noise since she tended to the wounds. "I don't care," she stated harshly. "I don't care for you, or your kind. Not at all! So if you want pity, you should wait until Suzu comes back."

However, instead of returning to the simple silence, she was frozen in her place when deep blue eyes opened slightly, giving off that unearthly glow as it looked up at her in confusion for a moment before the eyes closed again. The SOLDIER fell back asleep with just the slightest adjustment, but her heart was bounding once more. He was going to wake up. Soon. What was she going to do? If she did nothing, then it could destroy everything, everyone. Including her sister.

But she couldn't hurt it. Yes, it was against the teachings, but she was more worried about how her sister would react. Her job as a priestess was merely a duty handed down to her by her parents, keeping her sister happy was the main reason she was doing this. Suzu was all she had left, and now she was torn between her safety and her happiness.

Strangely, it was harder than she imagined.

Either way, she couldn't leave it alone now. Chou debated that for a moment before leaving the SOLDIER for a couple of minutes. She returned with a bundle of old clothing and a sewing kit. After checking to make sure the SOLDIER was still unconscious, she sat down against the wall next to the door and went to work mending the clothes both she and her sister, mostly Suzu, had ruined. She had neglected the pile for a long time simply because sewing was far from her favorite activity. It was boring, tedious, and she couldn't count how many times she had fallen asleep while mending clothes. But at the moment it suited. She could keep an eye on the SOLDIER, and have an excuse whenever Suzu returned.

* * *

Suzu was grinning ear to ear as she watch Chou continue to nap, slumped over onto a pile of clothes, their mother's sewing kit telling her that Chou had yet again fallen asleep while trying to mend their clothes. However, the main reason she was grinning madly was her sister's outstretched hand had found the SOLDIER's- who had gripped her hand in his. It was just too cute, considering how much Chou hated the SOLDIER.

"Chou…" Suzu said softly, waking her sister. Chou yawned and stretched. There was a sleepy frown on her face as she tried to figure out what was wrong with her one hand. She lifted her head up, and blinked when she saw her hand being held tightly by the man. It was quiet… comforting?

Wait. The man. That wasn't a man. That was a SOLDIER holding her hand!

"Calm down!" Suzu relished the chance to chide her sister as she panicked, jumping to her feet, and frantically looked around. Chou stared at her sister, before looking back at the SOLDIER. Her heart was still pounding, and she could feel her face turning a bright red.

"It hasn't moved, has it?" she whispered, causing Suzu's smile to disappear for a moment.

"No, _he_ hasn't." She gave her a look before her smile returned, "except he was holding your hand! That was so cute!"

Chou gave her a dark look. "Don't," she warned before changing the subject. "What time is it?"

Suzu shrugged, "Sometime after sunset." Knowing her sister would start lecturing her about what 'be home before dark' entailed if given the chance, she quickly continued. "Everyone was busy working so I was volunteered to look after the kids! I swear I would have been home sooner if I could've!"

Chou frowned, but didn't press her sister. She could understand. Everyone was busy either rebuilding homes or salvaging the crops. "How is everything?" She hadn't been away from the Temple since the SOLDIER came.

"Not that good. Most of everything was ruined, but since they're planning to ask Fort Tamblin for help, everyone's main concern with rebuilding before it starts to snow. Nobuo wanted to know if it was okay if the villagers scouted the trees around the temple for timber to use."

"We have extra planks of wood in storage still, and I see no harm in harvesting the trees." She bent down to gather up the clothes and sewing kit.

"So how was Mr. SOLDIER today?" Suzu didn't see Chou freeze for a moment, her attention on the SOLDIER, noticing that the bandages had either been changed, or in some cases removed completely.

"No different than when you left," Chou lied as she stood up.

Suzu turned back to her with an impish smile, "You were watching him, weren't you?"

"No, I was mending the clothes you keep forgetting."

"Mmhmm." It wasn't that hard to tell she didn't believe her. "You could've done that somewhere else~" she finished in a singsong voice. Chou didn't dignify her with a response, but left her room without another word. Suzu giggled slightly as she looked back at the SOLDIER. "See, I told you she's warming up to you."

Either that, or Chou was just being overly defensive, but she preferred to think it was the former reason. She always liked to think positively, so she didn't end up like her sister, who always seemed pessimistic. "She took care of you, right?" she asked as she took a seat next to him, "I'm sure she did, she might seem mean at times, but she has a good heart. Anyways, the villagers are doing pretty good. It seems like most of them forgot about you, or maybe they just too busy with other things…"

Down the hall, Chou could still hear her sister chat away as she sorted out which outfits she mended and the ones she hadn't gotten around too. Maybe she should tell Suzu not to talk about the villagers; the SOLDIER might be faking sleep now and would use the things Suzu told it to hurt them. However, that would mean she would have to tell her that it opened its eyes briefly.

Why shouldn't she tell her that? Could it really do any harm for Suzu to know that? Then again, it would force her to admit she had lied. Maybe tomorrow, if its eyes opened again. Who knew, it just might have been a fluke.

She could hope, at least.

* * *

"Why do you have to keep waking me up?" Suzu complained the next morning as she helped her sister braid her knee length black hair. Sometimes, she envied her sister for her long hair, but at other times, she was thankful she kept hers cut short when she saw what kind of painstaking work it took Chou to tame her hair.

"You snore loud enough to wake the dead," her sister pointed out, her smile reflected by the mirror they were sitting in front of. "I'm surprised you don't wake yourself up."

The easy tone of the morning was quickly done away with when an unfamiliar voice cry of pain echoed through the temple. For a moment, both girls were frozen before Suzu started to grin. Before Chou could stop her, Suzu jumped to her feet and dashed out of their shared room."Suzu!" Chou yelled as she quickly ran after her. However, since the SOLDIER's room was across the hall, there was no way to stop Suzu before she reached it.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's note: Finally! Chapter four has arrived! Except, those of you who got the update through your story alert, you might want to go back to the first chapter and re-read the story. I've done a massive overhaul, and this chapter four takes place during the original's chapter two. Yeah, _massive_ overhaul, with a lot more added content, better characterizations, and all that good stuff.

So yes, enjoy this nice, long chapter, when you get to it. Reviews are appreciated! I would love to know how you like this version!

* * *

**Dogs and Butterflies**

**Chapter Four**

* * *

Time had blurred for Angeal; sweet darkness mixed with moments of partial awareness and fuzzy dreams. Where one stopped and the other began, he wasn't sure since the dreams merged so seamlessly with reality that there was no way to tell the difference. Except for the pain. The pain was definitely real.

In one of those moments where he wasn't sure he was awake or dreaming, he attempted to sit up only to have white-hot pain flare up, causing him to flinch and cry out. He felt a pair of small hands press against his shoulders, trying to ease him to lay back.. "Take it easy!" An accented voice chided lightly as the hands fell away. "You'll pull one of your stitches."

Stitches? He opened his eyes, wincing from the light. As soon as his eyes were adjusted, he realized that he was _not_ in the Shinra infirmary, or even in a SOLDIER medical tent. The walls were seamless stone, decorated by bolts of fabric. There was no scientists, doctors, or SOLDIERs, but two Wutai women. The one lightly holding his shoulders was young, and had a smile on her face. The second was older, more around his age, and didn't look happy as she held the hilt of a dagger.

"Where," he started out, before hissing in pain as he tried once more to sit up, and pain flared up once more along his chest and back.

"Chou, where's that icky pain drink?" the younger woman asked. He didn't see Chou hesitate, fear and hatred openly displayed on her face before she schooled her expression and fetched the tincture sitting on the side table. It was the strongest pain relief that Baba could create, but it was also the worst tasting thing in creation. Or at least that was the opinion of most of the village. That was a small upside to handing the bottle to Suzu.

"Here, try this. It'll help with the pain, but it'll be disgusting." Suzu offered carefully, helping him a little to down the thick herbal drink. The SOLDIER gagged slightly, but managed to keep the bitter potion down.

"Where am I?" he asked as the pain faded away a few moments later. As the two women looked at each other, he took the moment to study them. The younger girl was probably around thirteen or fourteen, with short brown hair that about level with her chin and warm honey-brown eyes. The older woman, Chou, shared the same color of eyes, but they seemed colder than the other's. Her hair was black, partially braided, and fell past her hips.

Chou huffed and crossed her arms as she looked away from the younger one, who smiled as if she just won an argument. "You're at the Leviathan temple of Yezo," the younger one explained, "The villagers found you in their fields, barely alive after the attack."

The mention of the ambush brought back Angeal's memories. He had been leading a squadron of 2nd and 3rd class SOLDIERs towards the north after the helicopter's mistakenly dropped them at the southern point of the island instead of the northern. They had planned just to stop by the rice paddies to glean something to eat after their rations had ran out.

Instead, explosives went off and they had been ambushed by Wutai forces. "Am I the only survivor?"

His question caused the teen to look away, and the other refused to meet his eyes. That was enough of an answer. Fifteen SOLDIERs, who were no more than boys, dead because he had led them into a trap. He should have been more observant. He knew they were drawing close to Fort Tamblin and that their presence would be noted by the Wutai troops. The Wutai were known for being stealthy, but there had to be something he missed. Something that would have told him the field had been trapped.

"We were lucky that we had warning, " Chou said harshly. "Who knows what kind of damage would have been wrought if they hadn't…"

"Chou!"

Chou ignored her sister, keeping her eyes sharply trained on the SOLDIER and a hand tightly gripping her dagger. She expected the SOLDER to become angry, but he surprised her by just shaking his head, an expression of regret on his face. "We wouldn't have done anything to you. We wouldn't have even entered the village; we were just looking for food."

Chou tried hard to squash down any feeling of regret or pity that tried to flare up. "You expect me to believe that? You're a SOLDIER!"

A heavy silence fell in the room, making Suzu fidget as the two stared at each other; Chou's glare filled with anger and hatred, while the SOLDIER's held grief and regret. Didn't her sister understand that there had been enough fighting? There had been many losses on both sides, why couldn't she just put away her opinion at least for a little bit?

Suzu took a deep breath. If her sister wouldn't be the 'better person', then it was up to her. "Chou, why don't you tell Baba that …" Suzu paused as she looked back at the SOLDIER, "Um, what is your name?"

"Angeal Hewley," he answered, a bit surprised.

"My names Suzu," she smiled, "and she's Chou…"

"And you should go fetch Baba," Chou interrupted, a scowl on her face as she glared pointedly at her sister. Suzu opened her mouth to argue, but Chou narrowed her eyes. It had been a long time since she had seen her so angry. She bit her lip, trying to reign in her own temper. Part of her wanted to dispute that she wasn't leaving Chou alone with Angeal- that was a recipe for disaster. However, she knew from experience that when Chou was that determined, there was no use arguing with her. Of course, she wasn't exactly known to back down either.

Still feeling a bit hazy, and a good bit disoriented, Angeal watched the two stare each other down. He was surprised that not only he was alive, but that these two had taken him in. Especially considering Chou's obvious enmity towards him.

Eventually, Suzu huffed and climbed to her feet. "Fine, but behave!" she snapped at her sister before turning back to him. "I'm sorry; I'll be back as soon as I can." She offered a small smile, which he returned with the nod of his head. The young teen shot her sister one last dark look before running out of the small bedroom.

Silence descended after Suzu's echoing footsteps died away, and Angeal tried to ignore the feeling that Chou had directed her glare back to him as he closed his eyes and leaned back, propping himself by the arms. Despite the appearance of being at ease, he was on guard for whatever she might do.

After a few tense moments, he decided to break the stiff silence. "If you dislike SOLDIER that much, why didn't you kill me when you had the chance?"

"I wanted to," she answered, her voice still cold. "But Leviathan's teachings say not to kill an injured man whether he is a friend, stranger, or an enemy."

He smiled slightly at that, reminded of his own struggle to maintain his honor during war. That turned out to be the wrong thing to do as Chou snarled, "What, you thought we were savages?"

His smile left as he opened his eyes, and met her hard gaze with a saddened expression. "No, I have never thought that." He didn't think the Wutai people were 'savages', far from it. He believed the warlords and the five 'gods' in the capital city had spread lies to them about Shinra and the true nature of the war, but he had no problem with the people themselves.

Chou showed her disbelief with a slight 'humph'. "Liar," she muttered before turning and leaving the room. Angeal sighed as he closed his eyes and allowed himself to relax completely onto the bedroll.

Left to his thoughts, his mind went back to the last thing he remembered: leading his squad through the Wutai mountains. Because of the green helicopter pilot who had left them on the southern most point instead of the northern point of the island, his squad had rations for two days, and a two week journey in front of them. They had managed to make the rations last almost a week, and had made it almost halfway across the island, avoiding the main roads to stay undetected.

* * *

_::/Flash back/::_

"The rice field looks deserted," one of the 2nds commented, using a pair of binoculars to look down at the field below. The rice paddy had been carved out of the mountain side as the Wutai were wont to do, with the small village below, dark except for a few lanterns. It didn't surprise Angeal, it was well past midnight, and the night was cold enough it was nearing uncomfortable even for a SOLDIER.

"Rice sounds like heaven to me," a 3rd whined slightly, "and I hate the stuff."

The 2nd lowered his binoculars and looked towards Angeal. "Sir?"

Angeal looked from him to the boys waiting for the okay. All of them were hungry; there was no way to deny that. While he had sworn never to steal again once he became a SOLDIER, desperate times called for desperate measures. With the late hour, and the chill of the night, it was unlikely that they would be caught. "Okay," he conceded before quickly adding, "But be quiet. We are close to Fort Tamblin, if the Wutai forces were alerted that we're in the area they'll hunt the countryside. We must reach the capital undetected if our mission is to succeed, understood?"

"Yes sir!" the SOLDIERs chorused, their excitement evident in their force. He worried that their stomach would override their commonsense, but gave the go ahead anyways.

Quickly, and thankfully quietly, the squad of fifteen ran through the woods towards the rice paddy, Angeal bringing up the tail, keeping his eyes alert from any movement from the village. However, as soon as the first 3rd class SOLDIER reached the edge of the paddy, the village became the last thing on his mine as an explosion rocketed through the night. Suddenly the rice field lit up from torches, held by Wutai warriors leaping from the tall stalks. Training took hold as the SOLDIERs charged head on, swords drawn to meet the halberd-guns. Angeal forwent the standard sword holstered at his thigh, but let his fists fly at the closest opponent. The Wutai soldier blocked the fist, and swung the blade of the halberd, striking Angeal across the chest. Angeal pushed past the pain and swung again, landing a punch to the warrior's temple, knocking the man out.

Angeal quickly turned his attention to the other SOLDIERs, and were dismayed to find that the Wutai squad easily outnumbered them three-to-one. However, even if most of the SOLDIERs were relatively new, they should had little problem beating the ambushers. Add the fact that all the boys were weak from hunger, and it tipped the scales in a way it would be a difficult fight.

These boys were under his protection. He was their commander, his mission was to lead them to the capital to relieve the tired troops already waging war on the city, and then lead them home safely. Determined to at least assure their safety, he made his way towards the nearest SOLDIER, a 3rd class that was struggling with just one of the Wutai warriors. Using his sword briefly, he blocked one of the warrior's halberd that had been meant for the 3rd.

"Commander!" the 3rd shouted with a sigh of relief.

Angeal ignored him for a moment as he swung his sword, making the warrior back up. His opponent swung his halberd to use the gun half, and aimed the SOLDIER's heart. Angeal dodged the bullet barely; the piece of lead nicked his arm instead. While the warrior was busy reloading the weapon, Angeal rushed closer and used the hilt of the sword to knock the man unconscious.

Finally, Angeal turned towards the 3rd. "Tell the others to retreat to the woods if possible! Rendezvous at our last camp!"

The 3rd nodded his head and dashed off, eager to get away from the battlefield. Angeal sighed as he looked for any other SOLDIERs that appeared to be struggling. Unfortunately, that seemed to be many of them. Before Angeal could even consider whom to help next, there was a sharp pain as a bullet buried itself in the middle of his back. He stumbled to his knees, but refused to fall any further.

"Die, SOLDIER!" The Wutai warrior cried out as he raised his halberd to strike. He didn't expect the SOLDIER to quickly turn and sweep his leg out, knocking the warrior to the ground. Angeal down fall was due to the fact he did not attack right away, but took a moment to catch his breath. The bullet in his back and the gash across his chest made each breath painful.

The warrior jumped to his feet quickly, and lashed out with his halberd. Angeal was quick to block the attack with his sword. The wooden staff shattered against the pressure. The halberd was dropped as the soldier switched to magic, conjuring fireballs. Angeal expect the magic to fly towards him not to the ground just beyond. The fireballs sprang the waiting trap hidden in the muddy earth.

Angeal hadn't even noticed the rope on the ground until it snared one of his legs and pulled him to the ground and attempted to drag him towards the tree line. However, he dug his fingers into the soil to anchor himself, wincing at the sudden jerk that felt as if it had wrenched his shoulder. He gritted his teeth as he dug in deeper into the wet soil as the rope tired its hardest pull him. With his focus on not moving, he forgot about the Wutai soldier. The warrior stalked towards the trapped SOLDIER, wielding the blade of the halberd like an axe.

Thankfully, one of the other SOLDIERs noticed Angeal's predicament. The 2nd class threw a bolt spell at the warrior he had been fighting with before running towards the 1st, throwing another bolt spell at the warrior with the axe. His sword made short work of the rope pulling at Angeal before he knelt down next to him. "Are you okay, commander?"

Angeal grunted as he sat up, "My left shoulder, help me pop it back in place." The SOLDIER made a face behind his helmet, but assisted in relocating the shoulder with a sickening pop. However, before the SOLDIER could offer a cure spell to take away the swelling and pain that would begin to develop, the entire sky lit up as the Wutai deity summon appeared in the sky. The last thing Angeal remembered was Leviathan's Tsunami attack crashing down before everything faded to black.


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks to Cold Fyre on DA (that would be Fate's Design here) for the fantastic commish she did for Free! Go check it out... after you read this!**  
**

* * *

**Dogs and Butterflies**

**Chapter Five**

* * *

The SOLDIER was awake. Chou drew a deep breath as she leaned on the counter, trying to stop the panic that was rising. The SOLDIER was _awake_. She had refused thinking about this possibility over the past few days. But now that it was here… Now that it was awake… She didn't know what to do.

The worst thing was that the image of the sadness in the dark blue eyes wouldn't leave her mind. When the SOLDIER was asleep, it was easy to dehumanize it. It was just a SOLDIER. A monster. But now… If it- if he had acted the SOLDIER from the stories, blood-crazed and animalistic, then her decision would have been easy. No, he had to look and act human. There had to be emotion in those midnight blue eyes.

Midnight blue eyes that wouldn't leave her mind.

But he was a SOLDIER. One of Shinra's dogs of war that was a blight to her country. They were at _war._ She ran a hand through her hair; the unfinished braid had fallen apart long ago due to her habit of fiddling with her hair as she thought. What should she do? What could she do? She had taken an oath long ago to uphold Leviathan's teachings, though it was more in order to keep her home than because of her devotion. Besides, he was awake now. She no longer had the chance to end his life quietly.

Really, it left just one option- to make sure he healed so he would leave. The faster he healed, the quicker he would leave. Hopefully.

Chou took another deep breath before standing up. She could do this. She filled two bowls with rice and vegetables and grabbed two pairs of chopsticks before striding down the hallway, trying to emulate the confidence she didn't exactly have. Still, she hesitated outside of the curtains, surprised, hopeful, and a little worried when it looked like the SOLDIER had fallen back into his coma. But there was no such luck. When she pushed past the sheer blue fabric his eyes opened, and to her surprise, he offered a slight smile that turned into a wince when he sat up. She smothered the seed of sympathy as she set the bowl next to the bedroll before taking a seat next to the wooden doorpost.

With Chou's eyes trained solely on her food, she missed the reflective expression on Angeal's face. "Thank you," he broke the silence a few moments later. He watched as she stiffened, her shoulders tense as she looked up.

"I'm not doing this for you," she answered quietly, "This is only to uphold the Teachings."

"Still, you didn't have to," he pointed out. Chou huffed slightly before returning to her breakfast. Why was he trying to pin her as sympathetic when she wasn't? She didn't want to save his life, or take care of him. That was Suzu, not her.

The silence lingered on, and Chou found her attention lingering on the SOLDIER. She studied him while picking at her meal. He looked tired and already far paler than he had been earlier. That twinge of concern returned again, and this time she didn't have the strength to stuff it back down, but allowed the guilt squeeze her heart while she did nothing about it.

He was a SOLDIER, she reminded herself. Nearly indestructible. Besides, hadn't she been hoping he would pass like those that had fallen during the battle? She shouldn't be worrying about his health.

* * *

"Slow down," Baba chided lightly as she leaned heavily on the trunk of one of the trees lining the well worn mountain path, trying to catch her breath and give her aching joints some relief.

A good ways ahead, Suzu and Daichi paused, their eyes wide when they realized how far back the villager's healer had fallen behind. "Baba! You have to hurry! Chou'll kill him!" Suzu pleaded as she sprinted down the path to pester the elder to go faster.

"I doubt that, young one." Baba waved the younger one away with a frown. She didn't like the fact she was growing older, and especially didn't like it when she was reminded of the fact. "She may have a hot temper, but I doubt she could kill someone."

"We _are_ talking about the woman who chased Xue around the village with her sword when he groped her, right?" Daichi grinned, strolling leisurely back down to the pair. "Leviathan rest his soul."

Baba paused, reflecting on the man's words. It had been a few years ago, but she could remember the event clearly in her mind. Xue had been quite the ladies man, trying to woo all of the young ladies of the village. The only one that hadn't responded positively to his attentions had been the young priestess. Many of the villagers had told the young man to leave her be- Chou had been only seventeen years old, the pain of the death of her father fresh and she was struggling to take up to responsibilities he had left her. Of course, he hadn't listened, and tried a more direct approach. It ended after a chase with Chou's ceremonial sword pressed against Xue's neck and a dark threat from the fiery priestess.

"Perhaps you're right. We should hurry." Baba pushed off the tree and continued to hobble up the path as fast as her aching knees and back would allow her. Well aware of her disability, she tried to wave the two away. "You two can go ahead, if you want."

"Chou can take care of herself," Daichi answered calmly before Suzu could. "However, there are monsters out here."

"Psh, a bunch of Razor Weeds! Even Sora and Hiruki can take them out!" Suzu argued as she matched pace with Baba, though it was obvious she was anxious to move faster. She didn't like the idea of Chou and Angeal being alone. Chou's dislike of the SOLDIER was evident, and unlike the other two she didn't trust her sister. She had been hesitant to leave in the first place, and every step she took away from the Temple caused worry and fear to build up until she felt almost certain something bad would be waiting for her when she returned. Thus, she had grabbed Daichi and dragged him along with her and Baba. Wu had been furious, but the younger brother seemed all too happy to take a break from the hard labor of rebuilding the village.

"Be calm," Baba said with her wise and patient tone. "Everything will be okay."

Suzu did her best to portray the calmness she should've had, but was jittery until the Temple came into view. She didn't think twice before sprinting up the remainder of the trail when she could see the carved doors leading into the cavernous temple, leaving Baba and Daichi far behind. "Chou!" she shouted as soon as she pushed the thick wooden doors opened. "Angeal!"

"Suzu?" The young girl turned into the cavernous hall that led to the sisters' home off the temple, and was surprised that not only was Chou out in the hall, looking worried, but the SOLDIER wasn't far behind her with an similar expression on his face. "What's wrong?"

An embarrassed smile slowly spread across her face as the two continued to look expectantly at her. "Um… I just wanted to make sure you're here?" The worried expressions on their faces faded into surprise before differing. Confusion for Angeal, and annoyance for Chou. Thankfully, before her sister could start lecturing her, Baba and Daichi entered the home.

"When you said he was up, I didn't think you meant literally," Baba's surprised word cut through the tensions, diffusing the situation. "Angeal, correct?"

Surprise once more flashed across the SOLDIER's face before he nodded his head respectfully. "Yes ma'am."

"It's been a long time since I've been called that," the older woman chuckled. "My name is Tara, but you can call me Baba. You can also go lay back down so I have an excuse to sit," she added lightly with a teasing tone, "I'm afraid that the climb takes a lot out of me."

Chou stepped to the side and allowed Baba and Suzu to follow the SOLDIER back to the bedroom, a scowl on her face as she stayed out in the hallway. Daichi leaned on the wall beside her, earning a glare. "I haven't even said anything!" he complained when faced with her temper.

"Yet," she added pessimistically. "What do you want?"

He shrugged his shoulders, obviously not bothered by her skepticism. He could admit most of the time it was warrented, especially when he was hanging around Suzu. The two usually spelled trouble. "Just to make sure you're okay. Considering your crabby mood I take that as a yes."

Chou stared at him disbelieving. How did her sour mood mean she was alright? "That makes no sense, Daichi!" The muscular man simply laughed and ruffled her hair, sparking her temper even more. She waved his hand away and finger-combed her hair back into some semblance of order. "What are you here for, anyways?"

"I thought the Temple was open for anyone," he whined playfully before adding, "Seriously though, Suzu asked me to referee any fights you and the SOLDIER get into." Daichi expected to be jabbed in some way by the priestess, but instead the fury in her eyes dimmed before she looked down where the three had disappeared.

"Despite what Suzu thinks," she stated quietly but firmly, "I'm not going to pick a fight. I just want him out of here as soon as possible." Her honey-brown eyes glanced back at Daichi. "I have chores I need to do, especially since Suzu surely won't be doing hers today. If you're going to stay, keep out of trouble and keep an eye on them." Daichi frowned as he watched her leave, wincing slightly as he heard the doors separating the home area from the temple slam shut. From what Suzu had told him he had expected her to be in one of her furies she was known for, not this quiet determination. Honestly, the cold fury worried him more than if her hot temper had been sparked.

* * *

If Baba was surprised by the rapid healing that had taken place, she didn't show it by anything other than a small smile. "Usually I have a few choice words being yelled at me at this point," she commented benignly as she gently inspected the stitches crisscrossing Angeal's chest. It was obvious that the SOLDIER wasn't immune to pain by the guarded expression on his face, but he hadn't said even the mildest of swear words.

A tight smile spread across Angeal's lips, "I don't want to think what my mother would do is she found out I not only swore at an elder, but the one who saved my life."

Baba paused before her smile grew and she chuckled. "A man who still fears his mother. If only the young men around here thought the same way." She shook her head, "and I'm rather proud to say that while I may have stopped the bleeding and sewn your wounds, ultimately it was Suzu and Chou who saved your life."

"Actually, Chou wanted to kill- hey, watch it!" Daichi glared playfully at Suzu, who was doing an almost perfect imitation of her sister's glare after throwing one of the used rags at him. "What, it's true!"

"If you two continue, I'm sending both of you outside," Baba stated firmly when Suzu threw another rag, which Daichi caught and tossed back at the young teen.

Predictably, Suzu turned red while Daichi merely laughed. Baba shook her head, giving Angeal an apologetic look. He gave her a small brief smile in return before his mind turned to the absent woman, partly to distract himself while Baba continued to poke and prod, and partially because Chou puzzled him. Her dislike of him was painfully obvious, yet she and Suzu had done a lot to keep him alive. She tried to come off as harsh and cold, but it was at odds with her actions. Was it because of Leviathan's teachings as she said?

"You're not a hundred percent better, but you're in far better shape than most men would've been it." Baba interrupted his thoughts. "Still, I want you in bed for at least the rest of the day. You already pulled some stitches with your earlier stunt. And yes, I am going to need to replace them."

"How long until I'm healed?" he asked as she prepared a needle and thread. He took a deep, steadying breath as he eyed the needle. There had only been one time in his entire life that sutures had been used in lieu of a Cure Materia, and that experience hadn't exactly been pleasant.

"At the rate you're healing? If you don't keep pulling stitches, I think you should be completely healed in about three weeks."

Three weeks? The thought improved his mood slightly. Three weeks was short compared to the months he had silently been dreading. When Baba put the needle to his skin, his thoughts had turned from the relieved prospect of shortly returning a SOLDIER camp to the idea of notifying the friends and family of the boys that had died.

That was one aspect of being a 1st class SOLDIER that he did not enjoy. Telling the parents, spouses, siblings, and friends that their loved one had died.

He had to return quickly, so someone didn't tell his own mother and friends that he had suffered the same fate. After the death of his father, he wasn't entirely sure his mother could handle the news, and who could ever tell with Sephiroth or Genesis.


	6. Chapter 6

After about five months, chapter six is finally here! I won't hand out excuses, because really their pointless. I will admit part of the reason I've had problems with this chapter is because Angeal, on deeper inspection, is a very complicated character and is definitely contradictory at times, even before Crisis Core. I mean, he's full of pride in SOLDIER, and full of honor and doing the right thing, but for the life of me I can't understand why he would fight in the Wutai war- a war that had no real purpose other than Shinra trying to take over the world.

Or, you know, I could be over thinking this. Either way, I have my own fanon facts and ideas now, so we should have no problems. Feel free to share your own thoughts, I would love another person's opinion!

Also, I did a little tinkering with Ch. 5 so you might want to reread it. Or read the whole thing from the beginning…

* * *

**Dogs and Butterflies**

**Chapter Six**

* * *

Director Lazard had a troubled look on his face as he stared at the computer, aware of the two 1st Class SOLDIERs in his office but trying to delay the inevitable. There was no doubt in his mind this meeting was going to be anything resembling pleasant. Ever since he received the report from the 107th infantry that was supposed to rendezvous with Angeal's small troop, he had been dreading this meeting.

_Sir,_ a silent IM popped up on his screen, courtesy of his lone secretary. _If you do not speak soon, I think Genesis is going to use his Summon. He's been fingering it for a while now._

He briefly glanced towards the two SOLDIERs- Sephiroth was leaning against his usual bookcase, a scowl on his face as he glared holes into the opposite wall. Genesis was reading Loveless, or at least looked like it. His absent stare suggested he was lost in his thoughts while his thumb caressed the Materia in the hilt of his sword. Sure enough, the red Materia was glowing with an inner light, suggesting that power was being fed into it.

_Thank you, Emily._ He messaged back before pushing himself away from his desk slightly, leaning back in his chair to focus on the two SOLDIERs. The slight noise of his chair caught their attention, and instantly their eyes snapped towards him. "Two weeks ago, a squad of fifteen 2nd and 3rd Class SOLDIERs were led by SOLDIER 1st Class Angeal Hewley failed to arrive at the rendezvous site with the 107 Shinra Infantry."

To an outsider, neither SOLDIER look particularly interested. However, time working with the two allowed him to catch the small hints of concern and annoyance in the small changes in their body language. He took a deep breath and gave a rare prayer to whoever was listening as he continued. "The joint mission between SOLDIER and the Shinra Army was scrubbed and a search was started for the lost troop. According to intelligence, the squad had been ambushed in the vicinity of Fort Tamblin. All SOLDIER operatives were believed to be killed."

There was a brief streak of silence before Genesis scoffed as he closed his book with a snap and turned towards the Director. "Impossible. Even in an ambush SOLDIER is too strong for Wutai forces to kill. Especially in such numbers."

Lazard nodded his head, silently agreeing with him. It was highly unusual that the Wutai soldier could achieve such a feat. However, that's what all the evidence was pointing to at the moment. "There will be a deeper investigation, of course, but for now the squad is being declared MIA."

"When's the investigation?" Sephiroth asked, still leaning against the bookcase, his eyes directed away from the Director.

The director contemplated about his words carefully, this was the part he knew the two would be upset with. "Due to the increase in Anti-Shinra activity, mainly from AVALANCHE, there won't be an investigation for a couple of months…"

As predicted, both of their expressions turned cold. "Winter is only about a month away," Sephiroth pointed out, "The Wutai countryside will be virtually impenetrable until spring."

"General Heidegger and I are aware of this," Lazard acknowledged, "However, the Army, Turks, nor SOLDIER have operatives that can be spared at the moment for an investigation I personally promise that we will do our best to find the truth as soon as we can."

His statements were met by stony silence as the two looked at each other, silently communicating with one another with subtle looks. It was another instance of the frequent occasions that the Director didn't know what the 1st class SOLDIERs were thinking. Most people he could easily tell what was going on in their minds- however, the three 1sts and a few other executives he couldn't read. It was very unsettling not being able to tell if the strongest men of Shinra were thinking about what to have for lunch or plotting how to destroy everything.

Knowing how close the three were, it was probably the latter at this point. "And the reason we cannot go?" Genesis asked after a moment.

"I need both of you to guard the president during his tour of Junon due to the increase in Avalanche activity." Truthfully, he rather send the two to Wutai, but it would be too conspicuous. He was so close in his other plans, he couldn't be caught now. As long as he ordered the two to go with the president, it wasn't his fault if they did less than stellar job. Not that they ever did their best when it came to protection detail.

* * *

"_For your own sake, I recommend that you stay in bed a few more days. Three at least."_

Three days in bed was almost more than Angeal could honestly bear. He supposed if he was back in Midgar it would be even worse with his pride and honor demanding he stop loafing around and do something. Here it was a little bit more tolerable in that way, mostly because Suzu spending most of her day with him, chatting carelessly about everything under the sun, while also bringing along whatever chores she could. While darning clothes, cleaning and peeling vegetables, and polishing ornate things wasn't what he considered productive, it kept him from feeling useless.

Suzu had carelessly stated one day that Chou was torn between being happy the younger priestess was actually doing her chores, and worried because she was staying almost all day holed up with the SOLDIER. He wasn't able to assure the older woman that her fears were unfounded, mostly because he only caught glances of her throughout the day as she rushed by the room. Suzu talked of a fiery older sister who rarely backed down and always said what was on her mind.

All he saw was a young woman who looked refined and cold, and obviously hated him.

Thankfully, three days were only three days.

* * *

Chou was still half-asleep when she stumbled into the small kitchen in the middle of the night, automatically feeding the dim lantern magic to make it brighten.

"So that's how they work." The priestess froze as she opened her bleary eyes and saw the man sitting at the low table, cup in hand. Fear gripped her heart as her eyes locked on to the slightly glowing blue eyes. What was he doing up? What was he doing out of bed? What should she do? What was he going do?

He seemed to recognize the fear in her eyes, and tried to smile reassuringly, "Good morning."

That seemed to shake her out of her shock, causing a scowl to grace her lips. "What are you doing up?" she said coldly, not moving from the doorway. She hated the fact some of her fear and seeped into her voice. It was like meeting a monster, she thought; better to show no fear or weakness.

"It's been three days," he offered, trying to be as non-threatening as possible, "and I was thirsty." The simplicity of the excuse confused her for a few moments. Out of every possible excuse that had run through her mind, that was not one of them. "You don't usually rise this early, do you?"

She was shaken out of her surprise, and paused before shaking her head slightly. She took another moment before finally moved from the doorway. "No, I don't." She forced herself to sit across the table, her fingers playing with the seam of the pillowed seat. "I suppose I should ask you how you're feeling."

A true smile spread across Angeal's lips, "A little sore still, but truthfully, I'm happy to be able to be allowed out of bed finally." Chou's frowned deepened slightly, but nodded her head nevertheless as she accepted the answer. The silence began to stretch on, and Chou distracted herself by taking the simple iron kettle sitting in the middle of the low table, all but jumping out her seat to fill it with water and conjuring a fire. Morning tea was an old tradition she could easy lose herself in.

While the tradition was familiar and comfortable, she couldn't quite shake the feeling of Angeal watching her. A careful glance behind her revealed the SOLDIER watching her curiously. The knowledge made her tense, causing her to listen for the slightest sound that hint at any kind of movement. However, even after the water was boiling rapidly, tea leaves jumping as she removed the kettle from the fire, the SOLDIER had only moved his gaze to follow her.

The only time Chou ever paused in her routine was after she had set two ceramic cups down, hesitant to pour the tea. It probably meant nothing to him, but it meant a lot to her; the pouring of tea was a sign of respect, or forgiveness-neither of which she felt for the man sitting across from her.

Before she could make up her mind, Angeal suddenly rose and she was reminded just how massive the SOLDIER was compared to her. "Allow me," he asked, his voice husky yet soft. Light brown eyes locked with dark blue as he gently took the tea kettle from her. Once it was safely in his hands, Chou slumped into her seat, more than a little dazed. How did a SOLDIER of all people understand her people's tradition? His technique was not perfect, but it led her to believe that he had done this at least once before.

Once the last of the tea was poured, Chou allowed her eyes to fall from Angeal to the steaming cup in her hands. Her gaze flickered to him for a moment before she sipped at the tea. Even though she was the one who brewed it, and she was sure she had prepared it as usual, it tasted different. Bitter yet sweet, much like the situation.

"That wasn't your first time serving tea," she commented quietly after a pause.

"Back home there was an elderly couple from western Wutai," Angeal answered quietly. "I worked for them during the summer when I was younger, and they treated mother and I like family. They taught me a lot about their culture, though I understand theirs is a bit different from yours."

Chou nodded mutely, secretly surprised. To her, the ceremony was sloppy, for the ceremonies of the west however, it was nearly perfect. She took a sip of the cooling tea as she allowed her mind to ponder that of all people, a _SOLDIER_ knew that. A SOLDIER that had grown up with kinsman to her. But were they kin, if they had abandoned their homeland? Were they not traitors? "Chou," she jumped slightly when he said her name, her gazing jumping to his. "I know you probably won't believe me, but as long as I'm here, I'll try not to cause any problems."

The priestess' temper was riled at his soft-spoken words. "How can you even think that I might?" she hissed. "You're a SOLDIER! You're invading our country for no reason!" For a moment, she regretted her words when his expression darkened and his blue eyes turned cold. She feared she had angered him, and Leviathan knew what an angry SOLDIER was capable of. Maybe the nightmare that had woken her was actually a premonition.

The dark look didn't transform into anger, but shame and regret as he looked away from her. "I know. This war is pointless..."

The confession shocked her for a moment before she latched on to the argument. "Then why fight in it?" she asked, though it sounded faintly of a plea. "Why are you doing this?"

Angeal paused for a moment before sighing. "I promised a friend."

"What?"

"I promised him someday we would both be in SOLDIER," he finally looked back at her, "I promised him that I would help him to be a hero."

Chou snorted at that. "Maybe a hero in your own eyes, but a villain in ours. Are you so twisted that fighting in this war makes you a hero?" She couldn't understand it, it was one of the reasons she disliked SOLDIER and Shinra so much. Sephiroth, the man Shinra and the rest of the world toted as one of their greatest heroes was the one and same as the man that had crippled her beloved homeland. She didn't know how many rumors of the silver haired SOLDIER she had heard, of the blood he had shed. It was mainly because of him that many believed that whatever Shinra did to turn men into SOLDIERs stripped away any humanity they had.

And she was sitting across from one of them. Except, she admitted to herself, he wasn't acting like the monster the stories portrayed. Not yet, she amended. What kind of man would fight in a war he himself admitted was pointless? Though regret and guilt was still in his expression, his eyes dark as he avoided looking at her. Maybe… Maybe he wasn't as heartless as she thought, and she grudgingly considered that maybe SOLDIERs weren't as evil as she once believed.


End file.
